Silver halide photographic light-sensitive materials have come to be extensively used, because of their high sensitivity, excellent gradation and granularity. In a light-sensitive material used to obtain printed images, reproduction of whiteness is strongly required. Japanese Patent Publication Open to Public Inspection (hereinafter referred to as Japanese Patent O.P.I. Publication) No. 93150/1980 discloses a silver halide photographic paper containing at least one oil-soluble dye to keep the hue of a white ground in a printed photographic paper within a range of W* =86 and more, U* =-1 to 1 and V* =-3 to -1 in the U* V* W* color specification; and Japanese Patent Examined Publication No. 7127/1959 discloses a method of manufacturing a photographic paper containing a fluorescent brightener and polyvinylpyrrolidone as a fluorescent intensifier. Further, Research Disclosure (R.D.) No. 20733 (July, 1981) discloses a method to reduce a stain due to residual sensitizing dyes by adding a water-soluble stilbene compound and/or a nonionic surfactant to a developer. However, the method using an oil-soluble dye inevitably lowers brightness. The method which employs a fluorescent brightener and a fluorescent intensifier is liable to generate static marks, particularly in a blue-sensitive layer, due to discharge of static electricity, which is accumulated in transit, in a camera at the time of exposure or in a processing apparatus during development; moreover, the use of these compounds in large quantities is liable to increase a viscosity of a coating solution and lowers its coating property, in addition to a defect of giving rise to a bluish image in high density portion. The method, which uses a water-soluble stilbene compound and/or a nonionic surfactant in a developer to reduce a residual stain of a sensitizing dye, has no substantial effect in reducing the residual stain when the method is used singly.
British Patent No. 945,542 discloses a method to form a color photographic image using a silver halide photographic material containing a coupler having on the coupling position a substituent capable of imparting fluorescence to the coupler. U.S. Pat. No. 3,617,291 discloses a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material containing a two-equivalent, developing-inhibitor-releasing coupler having a benzotriazole group as a group to be split off. While these techniques are effective in improving whiteness of a non-colored portion, they cannot prevent generation of static marks similarly to the technique using a fluorescent brightener and a fluorescent intensifier.
With a view of reproducing a highly bright subject, Japanese Patent 0.P.I. Publication No. 142630/1989 discloses a photographic print having a mirror reflectivity or a second class diffuse reflectivity at the surface of a support and having a glossiness of 70 to 5% at the surface of the uppermost light-sensitive layer. But a print of this light-sensitive material is restricted in angles to be illuminated or viewed, and it gives a dark appearance instead of improving whiteness when specific angle conditions are not satisfied; therefore, it cannot reproduce a high brightness properly, though usable as a peculiar style of expression.
Under the circumstances, there has been desired a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material excellent in whiteness which is essential to a silver halide photographic paper (printing material) and capable of reproducing a high brightness which is not achieved by a conventional photo-sensitive material.